Those are words I have never heard. Usually, I hear, “Why didn’t I fire him/her a long time ago?” What prevents us from taking that strong right action quicker?

Firing someone is one of the hardest matters for us to get right – and yet one of the most critical. Reasons why we delay making a firing decision include:

• “I’m loyal to my people.” Being loyal to one person, or giving them “one more chance” too often, can make us avoid making the decision. Sadly, that avoidance often hurts all the rest of our people!
• “What if I fire the wrong way?” Everybody has heard stories about firing someone then getting sued. Whether the lawsuit is warranted or frivolous, it’s a massive time and energy sink. None of us want to deal with the stress and distraction of a potential lawsuit.
• “What if I’m wrong?” Firing the wrong person can damage the progress of our group and can have a serious detrimental impact on the morale. Plus, our mistake becomes very public. We often ignore that not firing someone can have just as severe an impact on work progress and morale.

When faced with a firing situation, remember that the whole company is watching you – every employee, and possibly your shareholders and customers, too. Choosing to hide from the issue may be choosing to destroy your company.

Firing swiftly and decisively makes a strong statement in the company. That can be either good or bad for the company. Decide what action is in your company’s best interests.

Handled poorly, firings can create horrendous consequences – lawsuits, bad morale, fear, and attrition. Handled properly, firings can be positively motivating. Employees learn that you are willing to fight for them, for their company and for their jobs. Further, employees understand what behavior is celebrated and what is not tolerated. That certainty creates trust; it creates affinity. And those two create a powerful company culture.

When faced with a firing decision, take all emotion out of the picture, then ask yourself:

• Do I have all the facts?
• What responses will I get if I don’t fire him/her?
• What response will the firing evoke in the affected person and in the rest of my company?
• Are those the responses I want?
• How do I change my actions to get the right results?
• Is this action legal? Is it fair?
• What are the costs associated with this firing?
• What are the costs if I don’t fire this person?
• What’s the right thing to do for my people and my company? For myself?

Seek expert advice if you need to, but do what you must to take that strong right action for your people, your company…and yourself.

Ed Perry is a Master Teacher at Acton. He has also been the founder, CEO, president or managing director of nine successful companies in the areas of engineering, consulting, enterprise software and venture capital.

Photo courtesy of striatic.

Tags: Advice, Ed Perry, People Management, Teachers

Posted in Entrepreneurship, Guest Writers